Crazy Mountain Brewing Company - Local’s Stash Reserve Series: Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch Ale

We definitely had a challenge with the cork on our bottle—but the dense, massively layered liquid inside proves entirely worth it. This pours mostly headless, deep-dark cola with a red tint. Intense aromatics of caramel and sweet bourbon and brown sugar are tempered by the light, fruity alcohol at the core. Hints of roasted marshmallow and chocolate near its edges, with complex elements like cherry, dried fruit and tobacco adding further complexity here.

The relaxed carbonation in the two Crazy Mountain IPAs of this special offer does wonders with the interal structure of those beers, and the softened bubbles in the brewery’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch Ale give this beer exactly the right texture to dig in as well. Vibrant red fruits, tangerine, and streamlined caramel mostly lead here; that toasty bourbon presence sits nearby sorta like a sidecar, adding some levity and edge to the long ride ahead. Just a modest hint of heat here, surprisingly for the 10+% ABV, and this definitely seems the closest thing to a dessert beer of our Crazy Mountain selections. Chewy, intriguing, and worth savoring.

The brewery suggests aging their Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch Ale for up to a year after the bottling date. The caramelization and middle-malt focus suggest good pairing options with aged Goudas or roasted-pork dishes.